My Home Ideas

Special Offers

Be the first to know about This Old House contests, sweepstakes, and events and receive special offers and promotions from your favorite home improvement brands. We'll even send you regular reminders to enter our sweepstakes.

What You'll Learn

Related Content

If you've got a dog, chances are your house already bears a few battle scars. From their innate tendency to dig and scratch to those "little accidents" they sometimes leave behind, pooches are especially tough on our cherished hardwood floors. Pat Hunt, owner of Hunt Custom Milled Wood Floors, in Lexington, Massachusetts, has fixed his fair share of the damage inflicted on his clients' houses by man's best friend. "We just did a job where a guy's dog scratched the heck out of his floors," he says. "Too many indoor games of fetch, I guess."

Though a good polyurethane seal on your floors is the best defense against urine stains and surface scuffs, it can't fully protect the wood. Fortunately, any clever, dog-owning DIYer can make minor floor repairs without the help of a pro—just follow our guide below.